I’m so ready to take on summer in my latest thrift flip! I purchased this J Crew Reimagined gingham spaghetti strap maxi dress for $8 at a thrift store near me and turned it into a matching crop top and midi tiered skirt. I guess you can say I reimagined an already reimagined piece lolz Swipe to see the before and after below.

All it took was a pair of scissors, elastic, and a little sewing magic. Here is how I turned this maxi dress into a matching set.

Video Tutorial

Thrift Flip: Mid Skirt

1. Mark the waistline on the dress where you want the skirt to begin
2. Mark 2 inches above this line and cut – the two inches will allow for elastic I used (adjust this measurement as needed depending on the size elastic you choose)
3. Measure around your waistline +2 inches and cut elastic the same length
4. Sew the elastic ends together overlapping by 1 inch each
5. Sew the elastic to the dress

Thrift Flip: Crop Top

1. Measure and mark the preferred length of the crop top + 1.5 inches
2. Cut (or seam rip if lucky) along the line
3. Serge (or zigzag stitch) along the freshly cut raw edge of the top
4. Fold the bottom portion up ~.5cm and press
5. Fold the bottom fold ~.5cm (adjust this measurement depending on the size of the elastic)
6. Beginning at the side seam of the top, sew a channel for the elastic using a straight stitch leaving a 1 inch gap
7. Measure around your ribcage where the top will end +2 inches and cut elastic the same length
8. Thread the elastic through the channel
9. Sew the elastic ends together overlapping by 1 inch each
10. Sew the 1 inch gap in the channel closed

Finishing touches

I wasn’t the biggest fan of the green tassels on the top. It looked a little disconnected from the skirt and it’s also not something that screams “Lina”. So I took those off along with the antiqued color beading and replaced them with faux pearl beading – something that screams “Lina”. I thought the addition of the pearls brought the looks together.

It turned out so much better than I expected! I am so in love with the midi tiered skirt and foresee myself styling it differently all summer – paired with this crop top, a plain white tank top, a cropped and tailored denim vest. The possibilities are endless 🙂